Maybe we're all used to Silicon Valley-style announcements of new technology for sale right now in high volumes, and not of the long R&D cycle behind that technology. In materials technology, especially energy-related, development can take a long time. Thanks, William, for finding those cost figures. The main researcher has had a single working device for a long time--but not a bulb, and, presumably, a very expensive device, and, I'd guess, one he's been tinkering with as a prototype.

I agree - the first question that popped into my head was why such a long time to market? I absolutely love the idea of unbreakable bulbs and hope this technology takes off. I think you have a great idea, Elizabeth - recycled plastics would go a long way in making them even more eco-friendly. Flicker-free is another plus - sounds like a winner if its cost-effective.

Interesting technology that solves the problem of the fragility of lightbulbs, but like the other commenter I am surprised this hasn't been brought to light (no pun intended) sooner if the technology has been around so long. I'm not a massive fan of plastic, though, but it does sound like a more eco-friendly design with the elimination of mercury and the reduced production costs. Perhaps recycled plastic could even be used in mass production down the line?

Thanks, Ann for this awesome news and the free PDF. I'm amused / frustrated / encouraged that Professor Carroll has had an operating device for the past 10 years and we haven't seen faster commercialization of the FIPEL technology. A quick search shows the primary ingredient [Ir(pp)3] is fairly expensive in research quantities at $0.91 / milligram while the other components, PVK at $0.03 / mg and MWNT ($0.02 / mg) are relatively inexpensive. The device in this research shows a 500% increase in luminance. We can all hope that additional research will discover additional leaps in efficiency. Commercial availability later this year is fantastic.

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